Conventional and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of recurrent dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and postoperative scar.

BACKGROUND: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) has a high recurrence rate after resection. Because of the lack of specific manifestations, recurrent DFSP is easily misdiagnosed as post-resection scar. A few series have reported ultrasound findings of recurrent DFSP; moreover, the usefulness of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in differentiating recurrent DFSP has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: We investigated conventional and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of recurrent DFSP and post-resection scar. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the findings of conventional and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in 34 cases of recurrent DFSP and 38 postoperative scars examined between January 2018 and December 2022. RESULTS: The depth and vascular density of recurrent DFSP were greater than those of postoperative scars (P < 0.05). On gray-scale ultrasound, recurrent DFSP lesions were more commonly irregular, heterogeneous, and hypoechoic, with finger-like projections and ill-defined borders. Postoperative scar was more likely to appear as hypoechoic and homogeneous with well-defined borders (P < 0.05). On color Doppler ultrasound, recurrent DFSP was more likely to feature rich arterial and venous blood flow, and postoperative scar was more likely to display poor blood flow (P < 0.05). On contrast-enhanced ultrasound, recurrent DFSP was more likely to feature heterogeneous hyper-enhancement, and postoperative scar was more likely to display homogeneous iso-enhancement (P < 0.05). Recurrent DFSP presented a higher peak and sharpness than postoperative scar (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Conventional and contrast-enhanced ultrasound produced distinct features of recurrent DFSP and post-resection scar, which could improve the accuracy of differential diagnosis.

Ultrasonography characteristics of cystic components in primary salivary gland tumors.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to characterize the ultrasonography (US) features of cystic components in salivary gland tumors (SGTs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 207 patients (218 lesions) with pathologically confirmed primary SGTs were analyzed. Preoperative US revealed the presence of cystic components in lesions. Lesion size, shape, margin, and US findings of the cystic components, including number, distribution, margin, occupying rate, and internal characteristics, were evaluated. RESULTS: Similarities were observed between the US performance of benign SGTs (B-SGTs) and malignant SGTs (M-SGTs) with cystic components. Differences in sex and age of patients, number, distribution, and internal characteristics of cystic components were statistically significant. For SGTs with cystic components, the proportions of M-SGTs to ill-defined margins (P = 0.002), eccentric distribution (P = 0.019), and none of the internal characteristics (P = 0.019) were significantly higher than those of B-SGTs. Younger age (P = 0.001), eccentric distribution (P = 0.034) and ill-defined margin (P < 0.001) were risk factors for diagnosing M-SGTs. Cystic component features needed to be combined with lesion indicators (border and shape) to improve diagnostic sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: US features of the B-SGTs and M-SGTs were significantly different. Cystic component is of interest in the US-related differential diagnosis of B-SGT and M-SGT. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Cystic components are potentially valuable in the differential diagnosis of B-SGTs and M-SGTs on US.

Clinical and imaging characteristics of pulmonary cryptococcosis: a comparative analysis of 118 non-AIDS patients in China.

The accurate diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) is an important guarantee for the selection of reasonable treatment methods. In this paper, the clinical and imaging manifestations of PC in non-AIDS patients were retrospectively analyzed, and according to whether there was an underlying disease, a comparative analysis was carried out to deepen the understanding of PC, and improve the accuracy of its diagnosis. Both clinical and CT imaging data of 118 PC patients were analyzed retrospectively. The clinical manifestations of PC patients were not specific, and 61 patients had no apparent symptoms. A total of 49 patients (49/118) were treated with antifungal agents alone, 46 of them had follow-up records after treatment, and 91.3% (42/46) of them achieved a good outcome. The most common imaging sign was the subpleural nodule or mass. Other main imaging signs include bronchial air sign (50/118), halo sign (32/118), ring target sign (65/118), lobulation sign (72/118), and necrosis (76/118). In terms of age, halo sign, and ring target sign, there were significant differences between the group with underlying disease and the group without underlying disease (P < .05). The CT manifestations of PC have some characteristics, and using antifungal agents can achieve good outcomes.

The CT manifestations of PC were characteristic. The subpleural lesions combined with bronchial air sign, ring target sign, and necrosis were important for the accurate diagnosis of PC. In addition, antifungal therapy for PC patients can achieve good results.

A new prediction model of hepatocellular carcinoma based on N7-methylguanosine modification.

PURPOSE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a kind of primary liver cancer. It is a common malignant tumor of digestive system that is difficult to predict the prognosis of patients. As an important epigenetic modification, N7 methyl guanosine (m7G) is indispensable in gene regulation. This regulation may affect the development and occurrence of cancer. However, the prognosis of long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in HCC is limited, especially how m7G-related lncRNAs regulate the development of HCC has not been reported. METHODS: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) provides us with the expression data and corresponding clinical information of HCC patients we need. We used a series of statistical methods to screen four kinds of m7G-related lncRNAs related to HCC prognosis and through a series of verifications, the results were in line with our expectations. Finally, we also explored the IC50 difference and correlation analysis of various common chemotherapy drugs. RESULT: Our study identified four differentially expressed m7g-related lncRNAs associated with HCC prognosis. Survival curve analysis showed that high risk lncRNAs would lead to poor prognosis of HCC patients. M7G signature's AUC was 0.789, which shows that the prognosis model we studied has certain significance in predicting the prognosis of HCC patients. Moreover, our study found that different risk groups have different immune and tumor related pathways through gene set enrichment analysis. In addition, many immune cell functions are significantly different among different risk groups, such as T cell functions, including coordination of type I INF response and coordination of type II INF response. The expression of PDCD1, HHLA2, CTLA-4 and many other immune checkpoints in different risk groups is also different. Additionally, we analyzed the differences of IC50 and risk correlation of 15 chemotherapeutic drugs among different risk groups. CONCLUSION: A novel lncRNAs associated with m7G predicts the prognosis of HCC.

Effect of noninvasive embryo viability testing versus conventional IVF on the live birth rate in IVF/ICSI patients: a study protocol for a double-blind, multicenter, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) was demonstrated to be superior to conventional IVF in reducing the incidence of miscarriage and abnormal offspring after the first embryo transfer (ET). PGT-A requires several embryo trophectoderm cells, but its negative impacts on embryo development and long-term influence on the health conditions of conceived children have always been a concern. As an alternative, noninvasive PGT-A (niPGT-A) approaches using spent blastocyst culture medium (SBCM) achieved comparable accuracy with PGT-A in several pilot studies. The main objective of this study is to determine whether noninvasive embryo viability testing (niEVT) results in better clinical outcomes than conventional IVF after the first embryo transfer. Furthermore, we further investigated whether niEVT results in higher the live birth rate between women with advanced maternal age (AMA, > 35 years old) and young women or among patients for whom different fertilization protocols are adopted. METHODS: This study will be a double-blind, multicenter, randomized controlled trial (RCT) studying patients of different ages (20-43 years) undergoing different fertilization protocols (in vitro fertilization [IVF] or intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI]). We will enroll 1140 patients at eight reproductive medical centers over 24 months. Eligible patients should have at least two good-quality blastocysts (better than grade 4 CB). The primary outcome will be the live birth rate of the first embryo transfer (ET). Secondary outcomes will include the clinical pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, cumulative live birth rate, ectopic pregnancy rate, and time to pregnancy. DISCUSSION: In this study, patients who undergo noninvasive embryo viability testing (niEVT) will be compared to women treated by conventional IVF. We will determine the effects on the pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, and live birth rate and adverse events. We will also investigate whether there is any difference in clinical outcomes among patients with different ages and fertilization protocols (IVF/ICSI). This trial will provide clinical evidence of the effect of noninvasive embryo viability testing on the clinical outcomes of the first embryo transfer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) Identifier: ChiCTR2100051408. 9 September 2021.

Usefulness of Ultrasound in Verrucous Venous Malformation: a Series of 103 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Verrucous venous malformation (VVM), previously called "verrucous hemangioma," is a rare type of vascular malformation. OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the ultrasonographic characteristics of VVM. The present study aimed to show the conventional US and elastographic features of a VVM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The US findings in 103 patients with VVMs were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: On gray-scale ultrasound images, 98 (95.1%) lesions showed subcutaneous fat infiltration from skin across muscle to deep fascia. The other 5 (4.9%) sat in the subcutaneous layer with no skin involvement. Most (96.1%) lesions were hyperechoic. Furthermore, 71.8% of lesions were heterogeneous, 68.9% of which were with ill-defined margins. Calcifications and visible vessels were present in 5.7% and 10.7% of the VVM cases, respectively. By color Doppler ultrasound, all lesions were found with low vascular density and 4.9% showed enhanced blood flow after compression. Venous spectrum was observed in 67.0% of lesions. The elasticity score was 2.66 ± 0.48. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of a VVM is challenging in the clinic. However, we found that most VVM lesions present distinctive ultrasound imaging characteristics. These ultrasound findings may well contribute to the accuracy of VVM diagnosis, especially in those with the absence of epidermal changes and the lack of dermal involvement.

T Cell Subsets are Associated with Clinical Activity and Efficacy of 4.5g Intravenous Glucocorticoid for Moderate-To-Severe Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous glucocorticoid (IVGC) remains the main treatment for moderate-to-severe and active thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). However, a substantial number (20-30%) of active moderate-to-severe TAO patients may not respond to IVGC. Some patients may have disease progression despite IVGC treatment or relapse after steroid withdrawal. OBJECTIVES: To analyze risk factors for clinical activity and predictive factors for clinical outcomes of 4.5 g IVGC therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe TAO. DESIGN AND METHODS: Our study was performed in two steps: step 1 involved 110 moderate-to-severe TAO patients and analyzed risk factors for TAO activity; step 2 involved 53 active moderate-to-severe TAO patients from step 1 who were treated with 4.5 g IVGC therapy and analyzed predictive factors for clinical outcomes of IVGC therapy. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors and establish the predictive model. RESULTS: Abnormal TRAb (OR = 4.717; P = 0.019) and the percentage of CD3+CD4+ T cell (OR = 1.092; P = 0.028) were independently associated with the activity of moderate-to-severe TAO patients. The pretreatment CAS-max in both eyes (OR = 7.221; P = 0.013) and the percentage of pretreatment CD3+T cell (OR = 0.718; P = 0.037) were independently associated with therapeutic efficacy. The pretreatment CAS-max in both eyes (OR = 156.53; P = 0.028) and the percentage of post-treatment CD3+T cell (OR = 0.554; P = 0.043) were independently associated with therapeutic efficacy. Besides, multivariable prediction models were established, which were better in the forecasting aspect than single-variable prediction models. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of this study, we should monitor the peripheral blood T cell subsets for TAO, which could be helpful to timely judge the condition of clinical manifestation and effect of treatment for TAO patients. Multivariable prediction models have been established, which have great significance for clinical work.

[Nursery Services for Children Under 3 in Sichuan Province].

Objective: To study the current status of nursery services for children under 3 in Sichuan Province, to analyze the problems and causes, and to provide policy recommendations for the high-quality development of nursery services in Sichuan Province for children under the age of 3. Methods: Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, we analyzed the current status of nursery services in Sichuan Province and the problems encountered in the development of nursery services in Sichuan Province by collecting information on relevant government policies of Sichuan and the status quo of nursery services for children under 3 in the 21 cities/prefectures of Sichuan through policy research, interviews conducted at nursery service institutions, questionnaire surveys, and expert panel discussions. Results: The supply of nursery services, or nursery enrollment capacity, in Sichuan Province reached 3 nursery enrollment opportunities per thousand people, with the enrollment utilization rate reaching 48.2%. Among all the nursery service institutions in the province, 55.4% were concentrated in the Chengdu, Mianyang, and Meishan regions. There were 1667 pilot nursery service institutions providing government-subsidized affordable nursery services and supplying 72971 subsidized affordable enrollment opportunities, accounting for 28.7% of the total number of all nursery service institutions and 29.1% of their total enrollment. There were a total of 37995 nursery service professionals, including 28468 caregivers (including teachers), with an average of 6 employees per institution and 5 caregivers per institution. 49.6% of the nursery service institutions hired healthcare workers on a part-time basis and 11.3% of them did not have healthcare workers on their staffs. Conclusion: Nursery services for children under 3 years old have developed rapidly in Sichuan Province, but there are a number of problems, including uneven distribution of resources in different regions, inadequate supply of government-subsidized affordable nursery services, mismatch between supply and demand, insufficient utilization of services, lack of professionals, and insufficient driving force for sustainable development in the industry. We have suggested that actions be taken to improve the policy and regulatory system for nursery services, actively develop care facilites that are government-subsidized affordable services, integrated daycare service for all preschool children, and integrated medical and education facilites, provide support for home care, establish an information system for nursery services, optimize the professional training and development system, strengthen scientific research and international exchanges on nursery services, and comprehensively promote the high-quality development of nursery services and the construction of a childrearing-friendly environment in Sichuan Province.

Comparative study on molecular epidemiology of measles H1 outbreak and sporadic cases in Shandong Province, 2013-2019.

BACKGROUND: Measles caused by measles virus (MeV) is a highly contagious viral disease which has also been associated with complications including pneumonia, myocarditis, encephalitis, and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. The current study isolated 33 strains belonging to 2 groups, outbreak and sporadic strains, in 13 cities of Shandong province, China from 2013 to 2019. Comparison of genetic characterization among 15 outbreak strains and 18 sporadic strains was performed by analyzing nucleotide sequences of the C-terminal region of N protein gene (N-450). RESULTS: All 33 stains belonged to genotype H1. The outbreak strains and sporadic strains distributed crossly in phylogenetic tree. Sequences alignment revealed some interesting G to A transversion which changed the amino acids on genomic sites 1317, 1422, and 1543. The nucleotide and amino acid similarities among outbreak isolates were 98-100% (0-10 nucleotide variations) and 97.7-100%, respectively; They were 97.3-100% and 96.6-100%, respectively for sporadic isolates. Evolutionary genetics analysis revealed that the mean evolution rates of outbreak and sporadic isolates were 1.26 N 10- 3 and 1.48 N 10- 3 substitutions per site per year separately, which were similar with corresponding data before 2012. Local transmission analysis suggested that there were three transmission chains in this study, two of them originated from Japan. Outbreak cases and sporadic cases emerged alternatively and were reciprocal causation on the transmission chains. CONCLUSIONS: Our study investigated the phylogeny and evolutional genetics of MeV during a 7-year surveillance, and compared epidemic and genetic characteristics of outbreak strains and sporadic strains. These results underscore the importance of evolutionary study alongside with sporadic cases in discovering and tracing possible outbreaks, especially in the stage of measles elimination.

Multimodal ultrasound for preoperative evaluation of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: a series of 40 cases.

BACKGROUND: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare, low to intermediate-grade sarcoma, which needs imaging examination. Small series of ultrasound findings in DFSP have been published; however, the usefulness of elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in DFSP has not been studied. We aim to study multimodal ultrasound findings and report the correlation between imagings and tiny extension in DFSP for preoperative evaluation. METHODS: Two-D ultrasound, 3-D color ultrasound, elastography, and CEUS findings were retrospectively evaluated. Forty histopathologically confirmed DFSPs were studied. RESULTS: On 2-D ultrasound, 26(65%) appeared as mostly hypoechoic lesions with occasional hyperechoic dots within the tumor matrix and lobulated lateral borders. Eight (20%) lesions were multilayered. Ninety-five percent of lesions showed increased vascularity. On 3-D ultrasound, DFSPs showed branch-shaped, striped, and wrapped color patterns. Power Doppler showed mainly artery of a moderate arterial peak systolic blood flow and low resistance index. DFSP is hard on elastography. On CEUS, DFSPs showed a long peak time, low peak and a small amount of perfusion around the tumor, 73.7% (14/19) of lesions showed a heterogeneous contrast enhancement and 89.5% (17/19) of lesions showed hyper-enhancement. CEUS showed better concordance than US with histology on the maximum diameter and depth (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Multimodal ultrasound showed significant characteristics in DFSP, which would improve diagnostic accuracy. CEUS could be an effective tool to determine tiny tumor extension.

Imaging identification of primary mammary analogue secretory carcinoma and acinic cell carcinoma in major salivary glands.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to characterize and differentiate the ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) features of mammary analogue secretory carcinoma (MASC) and acinic cell carcinoma (AciCC). METHODS AND PATIENTS: A total of 83 patients with clinically proven MASC and AciCC were analyzed. The following characteristics were assessed on US, CT, and magnetic resonance imaging: lesion size, shape, margin, echogenicity, echotexture, cystic components, posterior echo, vascularity, density, degree of enhancement, enhancement pattern, signal intensity (SI) on T1- and T2-weighted images (WI), hemorrhages, and lymph node enlargement. RESULTS: Similarities were observed between the imaging performance of MASC and AciCC. Differences between the two characteristics of shape on US and cystic components on CT were statistically significant. The proportion of MASC to regular shape on US (p = 0.006) and cystic components on CT (p = 0.027) was significantly higher than that of AciCC. Regular shape on US had the highest sensitivity in the identification of MASC and AciCC, while regular shape on US + cystic component on CT had the highest specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The shape on US and cystic components on CT are key characteristics for distinguishing MASC and AciCC.

A flagship species-based approach to efficient, cost-effective biodiversity conservation in the Qinling Mountains, China.

Prioritizing threatened species protection has been proposed as an efficient response to the global biodiversity crisis. We used in-situ conservation data to predict the potential habitat area of four flagship species: the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), golden monkey (Rhinopithecus roxella quinlingensis), takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi), and crested ibis (Nipponia nippon). We then designed systematic conservation planning schemes for various scenarios given species habitat preferences and anthropogenic activities and conducted a cost-effectiveness assessment. Broadly, the geographical distributions of suitable habitats for giant pandas, golden monkeys, and takins exhibited high spatial congruence (correlation coefficients of 0.59-0.90), and areas of high congruence were concentrated in the northern portion of the Qinling Mountains at high elevation (>1500 m). By contrast, the crested ibis was negatively correlated in space with its sympatric species (-0.47 to -0.29). Crested ibis habitats were clustered in the southern portion of the region at low elevation (<1500 m). A hypothetical conservation priority area (CPA) based on the giant panda, golden monkey, and takin included 39.64% of the Qinling Mountains and 100%, 99.99%, 99.59%, and 7.84% of the suitable habitats for giant pandas, golden monkeys, takins, and crested ibises, respectively. The same area included 99.07%, 70.87%, and 39.96% of the highly important areas for the ecosystem services of biodiversity conservation, water supply, and soil retention, respectively, and only 4.62%, 16.83%, and 13.4% of the area were associated with high-density residential area, impervious surfaces, and cropland, respectively. Therefore, we conclude that a CPA approach based on the specialist species could result in effective, low-cost biodiversity conservation in the Qinling Mountains. However, we note that existing protected areas account for only 26.52% of the CPA. We recommend that the main area of the proposed Qinling National Park should be based on the CPA developed here.

Analysis, occurrence, toxicity and environmental health risks of synthetic phenolic antioxidants: A review.

The continuous improvement of living standards is related to higher requirements for the freshness and taste of food. For example, synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs) are added to fats and fried foods as food additives to minimize the oxidative rancidity of oils and fats. Hence, the global use of SPAs is increasing year by year. Dibutyl hydroxytoluene is one of the widely used SPAs, often in combination with butyl hydroxyanisole or gallate SPAs. The extensive use of these compounds makes them and their transformation products to be widespread in various environmental matrices, including indoor dust, wastewater, river water, sewage sludge, and sediment, as well as human samples, such as nails and urine, at concentrations varying from nanogram per gram (ng/g) to microgram per gram (µg/g). Animal experiments have shown that high-dose SPA exposure is toxic, which may lead to DNA damage and mismatches and the development of cancerous tumors. Since the biosphere shares the same set of genetic codes, humans and animals have many identical or similar feedback mechanisms and information pathways. Therefore, the damage of SPAs to animals may also threaten human health. This review discusses the properties, occurrence, analysis, and environmental health risks of typical SPAs, including butyl hydroxyanisole, dibutyl hydroxytoluene, tert-butylhydroquinone, propyl gallate, octyl gallate, and lauryl gallate, used as food additives. In addition, AO2246, which is used in food packaging bags, is also considered. Future research directions on SPAs and their transformation products (TPs) are identified and discussed.

Increased symptoms of post-traumatic stress in school students soon after the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in China.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19) caused psychological stress in Chinese adults population. But we are unaware of whether the pandemic causes psychological stress on children. METHODS: We used the Children's Impact of Event Scale questionnaire (CRIES-13) to investigate the degree of Post-traumatic Stress (PTSD) symptoms caused by the pandemic in students selected from schools in Sichuan, Jiangsu, Henan, Yunnan, and Chongqing provinces of China. RESULTS: A total of 7769 students(3692 male and 4077 female), aged 8-18 years, were enrolled in the study, comprising 1214 in primary schools, 2799 in junior high schools and 3756 in senior high schools. A total of 1639 students (21.1%) had severe psychological stress reactions. A large proportion of senior high school students (23.3%) experienced severe psychological stress, and they had the highest median total CRIES-13 score. Female students were more likely to experience severe psychological stress and had higher median CRIES-13 total scores than males. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 has placed psychological stresses on primary and secondary school students in China. These stresses are more likely to reach severe levels among female students and senior high school students.

A Chemistry and Microstructure Perspective on Ion-Conducting Membranes for Redox Flow Batteries.

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are among the most promising grid-scale energy storage technologies. However, the development of RFBs with high round-trip efficiency, high rate capability, and long cycle life for practical applications is highly restricted by the lack of appropriate ion-conducting membranes. Promising RFB membranes should separate positive and negative species completely and conduct balancing ions smoothly. Specific systems must meet additional requirements, such as high chemical stability in corrosive electrolytes, good resistance to organic solvents in nonaqueous systems, and excellent mechanical strength and flexibility. These rigorous requirements put high demands on the membrane design, essentially the chemistry and microstructure associated with ion transport channels. In this Review, we summarize the design rationale of recently reported RFB membranes at the molecular level, with an emphasis on new chemistry, novel microstructures, and innovative fabrication strategies. Future challenges and potential research opportunities within this field are also discussed.

Comparison of Anchorage Efficiency of Orthodontic Mini-implant and Conventional Anchorage Reinforcement in Patients Requiring Maximum Orthodontic Anchorage: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effectiveness of mini-implants (MIs) and conventional anchorage appliances used for orthodontic anchorage reinforcement in patients with class I or II malocclusion with bimaxillary protrusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature search was conducted through PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane from inception to July 2018. The following Medical Subject Heading terms were used for the search string: "skeletal anchorage", "temporary anchorage devices", "miniscrew implant", "mini-implant", "micro-implant". Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of horizontal and vertical movements of teeth from baseline were used for comparison. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies were included in the final analysis. MI group significantly lowered mesial movement of molars compared to conventional anchorage group (SMD = -1.48, 95% CI = -2.25 to -0.72; P = .0002). There was significantly higher retraction of incisors in the MI group than in the conventional group (SMD = -0.47 mm, 95% CI = -0.87 to -0.07; P = .02). No significant difference was seen in vertical movement of molars (SMD = -0.21 mm, 95% CI = -0.87 to 0.45; P = .52) and incisors (SMD = -0.30, 95% CI = -1.18 to 0.58; P = .5). CONCLUSION: MIs seem to be more effective than the conventional anchorage devices in terms of minimizing unintended mesial movement of molars with maximum retraction of anterior teeth.

Fabrication of a low background signal glucose biosensor with 3D network materials as the electrocatalyst.

Glucose oxidase (GOx) based biosensor is an effective method to determine glucose level. However, the biosensors embedded with high electroactive species suffered from high background signal levels, which leading to relative low sensitivity for glucose sensing. In this work, a novel 3D network materials based glucose biosensor with low background signal was constructed, which demonstrated high sensitivity and selectivity towards glucose assay. Here, the combination of ionic liquid modified graphene sheets (GS-IL) and Au nanorods (Au NRs) acted as high electroactive catalyst, and thiol-containing silica sol-gel served as a nonconductive matrix to self-assembly of GS-IL and Au NRs to form the three-dimensional (3D) network materials. Meanwhile, the doping amount of the sol-gel had significant influences on electrochemical performance of the 3D network materials based biosensor. As a result, optimized 3.75% doping 3D network materials were selected to construct the glucose biosensor, which exhibited low background signal and high sensitivity. This biosensor was successfully applied in monitoring the glucose levels of serum and brain microdialysate samples.

A Review of Environmental Occurrence, Fate, and Toxicity of Novel Brominated Flame Retardants.

Use of legacy brominated flame retardants (BFRs), including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), has been reduced due to adverse effects of these chemicals. Several novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs), such decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), have been developed as replacements for PBDEs. NBFRs are used in various industrial and consumer products, which leads to their ubiquitous occurrence in the environment. This article reviews occurrence and fate of a select group of NBFRs in the environment, as well as their human exposure and toxicity. Occurrence of NBFRs in both abiotic, including air, water, dust, soil, sediment and sludge, and biotic matrices, including bird, fish, and human serum, have been documented. Evidence regarding the degradation, including photodegradation, thermal degradation and biodegradation, and bioaccumulation and biomagnification of NBFRs is summarized. The toxicity data of NBFRs show that several NBFRs can cause adverse effects through different modes of action, such as hormone disruption, endocrine disruption, genotoxicity, and behavioral modification. The primary ecological risk assessment shows that most NBFRs exert no significant environmental risk, but it is worth noting that the result should be carefully used owing to the limited toxicity data.

In vivo monitoring of cerebral glucose with an updated on-line electroanalytical system.

Because cerebral species involve rapid events, increasing the temporal resolution to realize in vivo near-real-time measurements is desirable. Here, we aimed to improve the low resolution of our previous on-line electroanalytical system by decreasing the dead volume and reducing molecular dispersion. This updated system has advantages of elevated time resolution and accelerated analysis for on-line monitoring of glucose versus the previous system. Finally, this new system was successfully applied to continuous measurement of cerebral glucose in vivo during global ischemia/reperfusion events. This study is expected to offer a reliable on-line analytical platform for continuous monitoring of important species associated with fast physiological and pathological events in vivo. Graphical abstract.

High-Frequency Ultrasound Investigation of Port-Wine Stains: Hemodynamic Features Revealed By 10- and 22-MHz Transducers.

OBJECTIVES: The hemodynamics of the ultrasound (US) features of port-wine stains (PWSs) have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the high-frequency US findings of PWSs. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 98 PWS cases and categorized them into 4 groups based on clinical manifestations and pathologic findings (14 nodular, 28 thickened, 52 flattened, and 4 acquired). We evaluated the US findings with 10- and 22-MHz transducers. RESULTS: For nodular PWSs, the mean thickened skin ± SD was 0.6 ± 0.5 mm, and the nodule thickness was 5.7 ± 3.3 mm; 63.6% of skin lesions showed vessel density of 2.16 ± 0.93/cm2 with venous flow of 4.6 ± 1.1 cm/s, and all nodules showed vessel density of 6.14 ± 1.92/cm2 with arterial and venous flow of 26.6 ± 17.9 and 9.9 ± 5.1 cm/s, respectively. The thickened skin of the thickened type was 1.4 ± 2.7 mm; 76.5% of skin lesions showed vessel density of 3.81 ± 1.98/cm2 with venous flow 4.6 ± 2.1 cm/s. The thickened skin of 36 flattened lesions was 0.1 ± 0.1 mm; 91.7% of skin lesions showed vessel density of 1.08 ± 0.28/cm2 . The thickened skin of 4 acquired lesions was 0.7 ± 0.4 mm; 50% showed vessel density of 1.08 ± 0.28/cm2 . The thickened skin and vessel density of nodular and thickened PWSs were thicker and higher than those of the flattened ones. The 22-MHz transducer produced clearer contrast and higher vessel density than the 10-MHz transducer. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed differences in US findings of PWSs, which may be useful for clinical diagnosis.